Chronological List of Biblical Texts

circa 160–180 CE

Acts of Paul and Thecla

Dating: Jerome recounts the information from Tertullian, and on account of his great care to chronology, some scholars regard the text a 1st-century creation.
Author: Possibly a presbyter from Asia
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy: Oxyrhynchus Pap 6, circa fifth century CE
Codex: Oxyrhynchus Papyri
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class: Acts
Part of Apocryphal Acts of Apostels

circa 170 CE

Acts of Peter

circa 175 CE

Gospel of the Nazarenes

Part of Jewish-Christian Gospels

circa 175-550 CE

Unknown Berlin Gospel
Also known as the Gospel of the Saviour is a partial Coptic text from a previously unknown gospel, now part of the New Testament apocrypha. It is made up of a damaged parchment codex that the Egyptian Museum of Berlin acquired in 1961 CE, cataloged as Papyrus Berolinensis 22220. The text's significance was recognized in 1991 CE due to delays in processing numerous similar manuscripts, and its discovery was announced by Charles W. Hedrick in a 1996 CE lecture. The manuscript is believed to date back to the sixth century CE, with linguistic features indicating it was translated from an earlier lost Greek original. The supposed original Greek text is estimated to have been created in the late second or early third century CE based on its theological content and style. Unlike a narrative, this Gospel takes the form of a dialogue, a format commonly used in antiquity for instructional content. Scholar Alin Suciu suggests that the Gospel of the Saviour is not truly a gospel but instead falls under the Coptic category of "apostolic memoir" and was composed after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE.

Part of Gnostic Gospels

circa 180 CE

Apocryphon of John

circa 180-210 CE

Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter / Coptic Apocalypse of Peter

Dated: .
Author:
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy:
Codex: Nag Hammadi
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class: Apocalypse,
Part of Apocalypse Gospels

circa 190 CE

Gospel of Judas
The Gospel of Judas

Dated: Second Century CE
Author:
Manuscript: Earlist known manuscript dates to 280 CE
Influenced by:
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Part of Gnostic Gospels

Third Century CE Texts

circa 200 CE

Acts of Peter and the Twelve

circa 200 CE

Apocalypse of Thomas
The Apocalypse of Thomas

Dated: Second-Fourth Century CE
Author:
Manuscript: Earlist known manuscript dates to circa 750 CE
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Part of Gnostic Gospels

circa 200 CE

Letter of Peter to Philip

circa 220 CE

First Apocalypse of James

circa 220 CE

Second Apocalypse of James

circa 225 CE

Acts of Thomas

circa 240 CE

Acts of Peter and Andrew

circa 250 CE

Apocalypse of Paul

circa 250 CE

Acts of Andrew

circa 250 CE

Coptic Apocalypse of Paul

circa 280 CE

Gospel of Philip

Gnostic Gospels

circa 290 CE

Acts of the Martyrs

circa 290 CE

Acts of Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca

Fourth Century CE Texts

circa 300 CE

Correspondence of Paul and Seneca

circa 340 CE

Acts of Peter and Paul

circa 340 CE

Gospel of Thomas

Other Gospels

circa 340 CE

Codex Sinaiticus
The Codex Sinaiticus

Dating: Codex Sinaiticus is generally dated to the fourth century, and sometimes more precisely to the middle of the 4th century CE. This is based on study of the handwriting, known as palaeographical analysis.
Author/Editor: Unknown

Part of Greek Old Testament / New Testament / Uncial Codices

circa 350 CE

Codex Vaticanus
The Codex Vaticanus is one of the oldest and most valuable manuscripts of the Greek Bible, encompassing most of the Old and New Testaments. It is believed to have been produced in the mid-fourth century CE, making it a very valuable source for understanding the early transmission of biblical texts. The codex is written in a clear, elegant uncial script on fine vellum and contains substantial portions of the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) and the New Testament, though some parts, such as the end of Hebrews, the Pastoral Epistles, and Revelation, are missing. Codex Vaticanus is kept in the Vatican Library, where it has been held since the library's founding in the 15th century. Its exceptional age, high quality, and accuracy make it a critical resource for biblical scholars studying the history and development of the biblical canon.

Part of Greek Old Testament / New Testament / Uncial Codices

circa 350 CE

Third Epistle to the Corinthians

circa 350 CE

Gospel of Nicodemus

Other Gospels

circa 375 CE

Acts of Philip

circa 380-460 CE

Epistle of Pseudo-Titus
The Epistle of Pseudo-Titus is a letter that is attributed to Titus, a companion of Paul of Tarsus, and addressed to an unnamed ascetic Christian community of both men and women. The letter praises the virtues of chastity and criticizes all sexual activity, even within marriage, as sinful. Classified under the Apocryphal New Testament, the letter is preserved only in the Codex Burchardi, an eighth-century CE Latin manuscript discovered in 1896 CE among the homilies of Caesarius of Arles. The Latin text contains many grammatical errors, suggesting the author was not fluent in Latin and Greek. The origins of the epistle are uncertain, but it exhibits strong encratism and may have ties to the Priscillianist movement in fifth-century CE Spain.

Fifth Century CE Texts

circa 450 CE

Codex Alexandrinus
The Codex Alexandrinus is one of the most important and comprehensive ancient manuscripts of the Greek Bible, encompassing both the Old and New Testaments, as well as the Apocrypha. Dating from the early 5th century, this codex is noted for its completeness and has provided critical insights into biblical text and early Christian scholarship. Written on parchment and featuring a distinctive uncial script, Codex Alexandrinus is one of the three most significant early Greek manuscripts of the Christian Bible, along with Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. The manuscript is housed at the British Library in London and continues to be a valuable resource for biblical scholars and historians studying the transmission and textual variations of the Bible.

Part of Greek Old Testament / New Testament / Uncial Codices

circa 450 CE

Gospel of Mary
The Gospel of Mary is a non-canonical text that was found in 1896 in a fifth-century CE papyrus codex written in Sahidic Coptic. The Berlin Codex, containing the text, was acquired in Cairo by the German diplomat Carl Reinhardt. While the text is commonly referred to as the Gospel of Mary, some scholars do not classify it as a gospel since it does not focus mainly on recounting Jesus' teachings or activities during his adult life.

Part of Gnostic Gospels

circa 450 CE

Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus
The Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus is a fifth-century Greek manuscript of the Bible. The manuscript is called Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus because (a) it is a codex, i.e., a handmade book; (b) its parchment has been recycled. The uncial writing is continuous, with the punctuation consisting only of a single point, as in codices Alexandrinus and Vaticanus.

Part of Greek Old Testament / New Testament / Uncial Codices

circa 450 CE

Acts of Timothy
The Acts of Timothy (Acta Timothei), is a New Testament apocryphal work from the fifth century CE. It focuses on presenting the apostle Timothy as the first bishop of Ephesus and details his death during a violent pagan festival in the same town. These Acts were known for many years only through a Latin translation (BHL 8294) that was part of the second volume of the Acta Sanctorum in 1643 CE. Photius, a knowledgeable patriarch of Constantinople, had read the Greek original and provided an account in his Bibliotheca (Codex 254). In 1877 CE, Hermann Usener edited the Greek original (BHG 1847), which had been found in Paris Codex (Gr. 1219), dating from the eleventh or twelfth century CE.